Written by: Stefanie Baltasar, Peak Associate
It’s one thing to fit a trope into a TV series which is recognizable and fun, letting it take over an episode by slotting in the characters into the necessary positions. Like musical episodes or easter eggs. Those are fine, but goddamn, when tropes get overused to the point of predictability, it’s tiresome.
The main overused trope circling my mind is fulfilling a prophecy. Prophecies are the worst damn trope when misused. It’s literally like a spoiler at the very beginning, especially when you know who the almighty chosen one is and there’s no questioning it. We all knew that Harry Potter would beat Voldemort as soon as we read about “a boy born at the end of July.” It’s on par with the trope of slotting in some random, unnecessary romance plot, which can take over a perfectly good storyline.
I get the whole idea that everything has already been done, so it’s hard to create something entirely new, but I want to see at least some effort being put into it. Well-formed characters or a unique setting that doesn’t use CGI, graphic sex, violence, explosions, or other overused tropes.
I’m sick and tired of that weird sense of pandering I get when those tropes come into play and change what could have been into what already has been done before. Learn from the past, but don’t just copy it!
